THE CONCEPT:  Immunosenescence 

Immunosenescence is an insidious process which leads to:

Ø                             Ø                              Impaired responses to antigen exposure

Ø                             Ø                              Increased infectious disease morbidity & mortality

Ø                             Ø                              Increased incidence of Cancers, Vascular Diseases, and Autoimmune Disorders

Immunosenescence

Current research shows that, like the brain, the Immune System can become senile.  This is known as “Immunosenescence”, the condition of decline in immune function as you grow older.  Quite surprisingly, this decline typically begins early on in life, and then worsens as we advance in age.

THE PHENOMENON: Immunosenescence

Immunosenescence also involves the inflammatory changes which can be important determinative factors in the chronic diseases and general frailty associated with Aging including:

Ø                             Ø                              Advanced Cancers & Metastases

Ø                             Ø                              Coronary Heart Disease and Heart Attacks

Ø                             Ø                              Cerebrovascular Disease and Strokes

Ø                             Ø                              Alzheimer's Disease (Presenile Dementia)

Ø                             Ø                              Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Crohn’s Disease

Ø                             Ø                              Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes

Ø                             Ø                              Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis

Ø                             Ø                              Rheumatoid Arthritis

Immunosenescence is primarily characterized by a gradual depression of cellular functions throughout the immune system. It has been shown scientifically to be directly associated with a phenomenon called “telomere shortening”, which weakens our ability to produce the new immune cells needed to protect the body from disease.   Immunosenescence can also provoke the development of autoimmune disorders.

Natural killer (NK) Cells

The cells most severely affected are Natural Killer (NK) cells, the body’s first line of defense against Cancer, microbial infections, and many other serious diseases.  Many scientific studies also show a link between NK cell deficiency and autoimmune diseases, susceptibility to Lyme Disease, and Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFID).   People with NK cell deficiency also show increased susceptibility to phases of Herpes virus and influenza virus infection and recurrence.

Cancer

The current scientific evidence clearly indicates that advancing age is the single greatest risk factor for the development of Cancer.  Specifically, the incidence of Cancer increases in advanced adults who demonstrate age-dependent progressive immunosenescence and its resultant NK cell deficiency.

Natural killer (NK) cells are specifically known to kill invasive tumor cells.  They accomplish his by binding themselves to cancer cell membranes and injecting powerful enzyme granules which cause the cancer cell to dissolve in death within five minutes.  

Infectious Diseases

Immunosenescence is an insidious process which weakens human immunity against exposure to viruses (e.g., Influenza), bacteria (e.g., E. coli) and other infectious microbes.  Among other factors, it is the NK cell deficiency which leads to an increased in the severity of illness and death rate from infectious diseases.

Coronary Heart Disease

Viral and bacterial infections are now recognized as major risk factors for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).  As the first line of defense against those infections, a weakened and depleted NK cells may open the door to the development of CHD